


heavy as a feather when you hit the dirt

by alvciadebnancarey



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, also there's more relationships and friendships in the story, and it's gonna be bloody, because it's focused around a war, but it's still in the realm of possibility, but those are the most prominent, everything's angsty and given the topic there isn't much room for cutesy things, obviously, so this is an au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-19 04:22:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7344709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alvciadebnancarey/pseuds/alvciadebnancarey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her lungs shake with the effort it takes to stay calm. She wipes tirelessly at the blood dripping off her fingertips and realizes that it will never go away. Nothing can ever make it go away, not when the screams of the dead man in front of her are still so fresh in her mind. Truly, war is hell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	heavy as a feather when you hit the dirt

**Author's Note:**

> prologue

Abigail Griffin sat in her assigned seat next to Chancellor Jaha himself, who appeared to be sweating under the heat of the artificial lights shining on him. She hadn’t uttered a single word since the meeting was adjourned. She’d sat in a stunned silence as she watched fellow Council members leave the room, their hands shaking with confusion and fear for the future. Marcus Kane sat across from her, lips pursed as he tapped a rhythmless beat on the arm of his chair. He did not appear to be leaving any time soon, just as she did. She looked to stony-faced leader beside her and was surprised to find him smiling in place of his usual frown.

“I can’t help but feel as though I’ve made a mistake,” he said, pulling his cup of coffee to his mouth, taking a long sip that surely burned the roof of his mouth.

Marcus leaned forward, halting the tremble of his anxious fingers. “Perhaps you have.”

Chancellor Jaha quirked his eyebrows, unsurprised that the characteristically brash Council Member would dare disagree with the man that signed his checks. “I have my reasons for thinking so. Care to tell me yours, Kane?”

Marcus looked aggravated for a moment, realizing that he would have to, yet again, remind everyone of the facts in such a way that would persuade them to take his side. “A _war_ is not what this country needs, sir. We’ve preached to the people for months that the government of Arkadia would not even _fathom_ the possibility of participating in war we have no business in. And here you are, proving us to be liars.”

The Chancellor was unaffected by the well-disguised slander, and instead looked to Abigail, who sat as still as she could, listening intently. “And you, Mrs. Griffin? Do you think I’ve tossed Arkadia into certain peril?”

Abigail tilted her head to the side, gaping for a moment. She had not expected to say much until Marcus had left. But there, under the pressure of their stares, she had no choice but to reveal any thought she’d gathered since the start of the meeting.

“Certain? War is… Unpredictable. Messy, even. Not until the very last seconds, not until one side has signed a surrender onto paper, can you even consider the outcome. Arkadia is full of able men and women who are willing to fight, should we call them to. We have the resources, we have the bodies - but what we’re lacking is a motive. We have thousands of miles of unexplored land; our allies have nothing we can’t find ourselves. What does Arkadia get out of fighting in this… Ground War, as the people are calling it.”

Jaha’s dark eyes twinkled with a sort of desperate fascination, glad to have found some reassurance in her reply. “The land beyond Arkadia is not ours to claim. It belongs to our allies, and perhaps even our enemies. If we move our pieces right, those doors open, and the land is ours. The people want to expand, Abby - can’t you feel it? As do I, but I will not break a centuries old treaty just for a taste of freedom before certain war.”

Marcus cleared his throat, spreading his hands and twirling the ring on his left index finger. “I’m not saying a victory is beyond the realm of possibility. With the power and military leaders of the Trikru, it is probable. All I ask of you, is to consider this: the people are afraid. They are courageous and they are proud, but they are human, and humans are afraid of death. Should something happen and turn the tables, our enemies will not hesitate to eliminate us. Arkadia is well populated, but its borders are small.”

The Chancellor took another long sip from his coffee. “War is messy,” he nodded, glancing to Abigail in an unspoken agreement. “War brings glory, if nothing else. Whether we win or we lose, the land outside is ours, as promised in the offer to join the Coalition.”

Kane folded his arms, one over the other. “It’s tempting. I’ve heard many things about their leader. They’re a cunning, ruthless bunch over there, and they wouldn’t just _hand_ us their land if we provide them with failure.”

Abigail blinked, mouth tight. “You’re waiting for the second hand to come and take away the prize in the other. You think it’s a trap.”

Chancellor Jaha set his cup down, sighing. “People are desperate during war. They’ll beg, lie, and steal if it means helping their cause. But they’ll just as soon offer almost anything. For all the land the conquer over there, the less the land around Arkadia matters.”

Marcus seemed to consider this. “And they’ve promised it all? Everything from ocean to ocean?”

Jaha frowned, and Kane immediately stiffened. The Chancellor was quick to ease the tension, though. “Ninety percent of it. Any settlements here are to remain, and they require access to hunting grounds. Should conditions decline in their countries, they are free to live among us.”

Abigail chuckled, but there was no humor to it. “The people won’t like that.”

“The people will like losing even less.”

Kane rubbed under his chin. “How long do you expect this war to drag on? It’s only just recently started.”

Thelonious grasped his shoulder, looking straight into his eyes for any traces of understanding. “As long as it takes, Marcus. As long as it takes.” He stood a moment later, looked at them both, took his coffee, and left the room as silently as he could.

Marcus looked at Abigail from across the table, visibly distraught. “He always makes everything seem so simple, even the worst of things. Does he even know what we’re fighting against? What it will cost to win?”

Abigail ran a hand along the length of her braid. “He doesn’t even know what we’re fighting _with_.”

“Has he considered the inevitability of civilian riots? Yes, there are many - _thousands_ \- of people willing to fight, but there will always be some who would rather rot away.”

“I know just as little as you do, Kane. I’ll do my best to ask whatever I can the next time I have a chance to speak with him, and I expect you’ll do the same,” she promised, rising to her feet. “However, I don’t think that chance will come for a long time. He needs to announce it to the people, to the Guard. And then we’re all over the place, speaking with generals and sergeants we had no intentions of meeting.”

“We’re too ill-prepared for this, he must know that.”

“He’s optimistic - he always has been. He doesn’t see everything the way we and the people do. He doesn’t acknowledge failure until it’s looking at him inches from his face, and it has never gotten that close to him.”

“Perhaps he’ll be reminded of what it tastes like in the next coming months.”

“Perhaps,” she agreed.

Kane rose from his chair, too, and walked with his usual swagger towards the door. “Until our next meeting, then. I doubt it’ll be in this same room, rather over a pile of ammunition and battle strategies instead.”

They parted ways with an exchange of friendly smiles, unaware of how terribly _wrong_ everything was about to go.


End file.
